Car step and method of making the same



June

w. P. WITHEROW WKWGINL BN Patented .lune 3G, i925.l

Nrrsn STATES 1,544,417 PATENT OFFICE'.

WILLIAM P. WITHERAOW, 0F ZPITTSBRGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WITHEROW STEEL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENN- SYLVANIA. v

CAR STEP AND. METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application led December 26, 1922. Serial No. 608,946.

To all whom 't may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. WITHE- Row, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car Steps and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact de l the brakeman in boarding and alighting uniform shape and cross-section throughout.-

from the cars.

retofore such steps have customarily een formed from Hat bars of substantially With such steps, there has been provided a comparatively poor tread surface and in wet and slippery weather serious accidents have often resulted. By the present invention, there is produced, preferably by die-rolling, an improved blank from which a safety car step may be inexpensively formed andwhich overcomes the objectionsv to car steps as ordinarily used.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration only certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it being apparent that many changes in construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention'and scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings- Figurel is a side elevation of a die-roll blank from which a car step is adapted tu be formed;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction illustrated in Figure l;

Figures 3, i and 5 are transverse sectional views respectively, on the lines III-III,

of the completed article to be formed there.

from. This leader is then die-rolled in 'any suitable manner to produce a blank having flattenedtermnal portions 2 and an intermediate flattened tread forming portion 3. The' tread forming portion 3 is preferably provided during the die-rolling operation with a roughened tread forming surface which may be produced by rolling therein a series of corrugations or ridges 4. Intermediate the terminal portions 2 and the tread forming port-ion 3 the blank preferably has cylindrical hanger portions 5. The respective portions of the blank preferably gradually merge, one into the other lby forming vinclined connecting portions 6, whereby abrupt changes of section and stress magnification factors are eliminated.

By a suitable bending operation, the dierolled blanks may be bent into the form illustrated in Figure 6. Either before or after this final bending operation, the terminal portions 2 may be drilled to provide openings 7 permitting the step to be secured in place beneath the body of a car.

In some instances, it is desirable to form steps for attachment to the sides' of cars, a ste Figure 7. This step maybe produced by twisting the terminal portions 2 throu h rolling as is common in this art and then for this purpose being illustrated inv separated into 'individual blanks as shown in Figure 1, in any desired manner.

By the present invention, there is provided a car step having an etlicient tread surface tending to prevent. the foot of the b-rakeman from slipping.

Further advantages arise from the provision of-a die-rolled step having an en'icientdistribution of the metal therein to insure maximum strength.

I claim: f

1. "As an article of manufacture, a derolled safety car step of dierent cross sectional shapes at different portions throughout the length but -free from abrupt changes vof section, said step having attaching terminal portions and an intermediate roughened tread forming portion, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, a dierolled safety car step having attened terrainal portions, a flattened intermediatetread 1B nal portions,

forming portion and circular han er portions intermediate the terminal port1ons and tread forming portions, substantially as described.

3. As an article of manufacture, a dierolled safety car step having attened terminal portions, a attened intermediate tread forming portion and circular hanger portions intermediate the terminal portions ,and tread forming portions, said step bein free from abrupt changes in section, su stantially as described. l

4. As an article of manufacture, a dierolled safety car step having flattened termia attened intermediate tread forming portion and circular hanger portions intermediate the terminal portions and tread forming portions, said tread forming portion having a rou he'ned tread surface, substantially as descried 5..As an article of manufacture, a. safety car step having a broad roughened tread forming portion, supporting portions, and portions of gradually changing cross section connecting said portlons, substantially as de'- scribed. p

In testimonyvwhereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM r., WITHERQW, 

